


3:47

by RoxasWearsPants



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Axel is kind of an ass, Coming Out, F/M, Gen, Implied Axel/Roxas - Freeform, M/M, Rejection, Starting Over, The Twilight Town Kiddies Love Roxas, Unrequited Love, maybe a happy ending??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 11:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3118463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoxasWearsPants/pseuds/RoxasWearsPants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Roxas doesn’t need a friend like you in his life. Not anymore.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	3:47

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting any story of mine, but I thought it would be nice to share! Excuse any mistakes, I didn't really have anyone else look over it.  
> Leave a comment about what you think! I'm always happy to hear feedback!

It was when he was 10 that he first met him. Axel. He was at the bus stop, sitting on the small bench waiting for the four o’clock bus when an exhausted looking kid approached him. Not so much a kid than an early teen. He came running down the street, nearly tripping over his dirty, untied shoes. Red hair flared out in dangerous short spikes, bobbing with every heavy step, and green eyes blazed with adrenaline and purpose. He took a seat next to Roxas, panting quietly as he obviously exhausted himself from his run. Roxas did his best not to stare, his mother always told him it was rude to stare, but Roxas didn’t really recognize him. Twilight Town was small, everyone knew everyone. Maybe he was new?

“Hey.”

Roxas fidgeted and pretended not to hear him.

“Hey, kid.”

Roxas cast a sideways glance at him.

“I said, hey.”

Roxas turned his head slightly to look at him, his hands gripping the straps of his backpack a little tighter.

The boy smiled, satisfied with the attention. “You got the time? I’m trying to catch the four o’clock bus.”

Roxas frowned before glancing down at his watch. 3:47. “It’s three forty-seven. It’ll be a couple of minutes.” He looked up to see the dirt slapped on the other’s tanned skin, as well as his red shirt and white shorts. His mother would be furious if he ever dirtied his clothes like that.

“Thanks. That gives me some time to relax then!” The boy stretched in his seat, making a bit of a show of wriggling and twisting. “I’m Lea, by the way. But you can call me Axel. I’m new here, in case you were wondering.”

Roxas nodded hesitantly and turned back to look at the street.

Axel cleared his throat. “You know, usually when someone introduces themselves, they get an introduction back.”

Roxas turned back to look at him and shrugged. “My mom said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

Axel scoffed. “What are you, seven? That’s silly. The most interesting people are strangers. Maybe if you gave me your name we won’t be strangers.” He had an expectant look in his face.

Roxas narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He weighed the pros and cons as best he could, before deciding that this Axel kid was going to find out his name eventually, given how small this town was. “Roxas. My name is Roxas. And no, I’m not seven, I’m 10.” He mumbled.

Axel grinned. “Good to know. I’m 13, but if you don’t mind me being a little older, I won’t mind you being a kid. You wanna be friends? I could use some.”

“I’m not a kid, I’m 10! My mom says I’m getting taller and stuff.” Roxas attempted to defend himself. His mother always told him that 10 was a big kid age. He was totally a big kid.

“Yeeeaahh… Your mom was lying. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re sized like a brat.”

Roxas had always been easy to rile up. “I’m not a brat. I’m a fifth grader!”

Axel laughed and raised a hand to mess with Roxas’ neatly combed blond hair. “Whatever makes you happy. You didn’t answer my question though. Do you want to be my friend? A guy like me could use a baby faced kid to drag around town.”

Roxas wasn’t sure why he said yes. Maybe it was the way he seemed sincere in his request. Or maybe that Roxas didn’t have too many friends himself and anyone was good enough for him.

 

* * *

 

 

They saw each other on and off then, with summer vacation just around the corner. Axel was in eighth grade to Roxas’ fifth but they did all they could to see each other. Every morning they would ride the bus to school together and every evening they took the bus home. Roxas worried that eventually Axel would also leave him, but he always came back. When they finally got out of school they spent every day together, eating ice cream, playing tag, or lazing around. Roxas was young and didn’t quite understand much about friendship, but he hoped that one day Axel would think of him as a best friend.

 

* * *

 

 

For Roxas’ thirteenth birthday, Axel got him a skateboard. The blond teen was spoiled in presents that year but Axel’s was the best. His mother would never buy him one, and she was obviously distraught when Axel brought it out, but she took one look into Roxas’ baby blues and shooed him away, with the promise that he would come back unharmed.

His mother didn’t particularly like Axel, given the rebellious reputation that the redhead had earned for himself, but Axel was nothing short from kind to Roxas and his family. And really, that was all she cared about. So when Roxas broke his arm two days into their summer vacation after attempting a new trick on his brand new skateboard, she was livid. Roxas did his best not to cry as they walked back to his house to tell his mother. The look on her face told him that maybe he maybe should’ve.

The drive to the hospital was relieved only by Axel’s presence. The drive home was quiet and tense, perhaps worse than actually breaking his arm. His mother sat them down in the couch, giving them a hard, stern look.

“Axel you should’ve known that Roxas couldn’t-“

“Ma’am, in my defense, I did try to stop him. Honest to God, I tried to take the board away.” Axel raised a hand up and brought the other to his chest. Roxas nodded.

“He’s right, mom. Sorry. Don’t blame Axel, I told him that I wanted to try the trick.”

Roxas’ mother pursed her lips, her faced twisted with anger and panic, before she sighed. “You still could’ve watched him better, Axel. I leave him to you for most of the day, I expect my baby boy to come home in a good condition-“

“Mom, I’m not a baby anymore! I’m 13-”

Axel snorted at that.

“-I can handle myself just fine! It’s just a broken arm, I’ll get better.” Roxas smiled that sweet smile of his, batted his eyes and his mother was a goner. She could never resist that baby face of his.

“Roxas… Just be more careful.” She said tiredly before shuffling into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Axel and Roxas grinned at each other before hurrying off to Roxas’ room to play games. Axel was careful not to jostle Roxas’ arm too much.

Every birthday after that Roxas’ mother bought him every kind of skateboard protection she could get her hands on.

 

* * *

 

 

Roxas’ first impression of high school was that it was crowded. It was like shopping at Best Buy on Black Friday. He knew Axel was in the school somewhere, somewhere in the mobs of people that filled the halls, and he was hoping to find him before classes started, but before he could start the search for his best friend, the first bell rang and Roxas almost tripped down the stairs trying to get to his first class. He was late, of course, but so was half of his class he realized. Familiar faces decorated the class but he shuffled to the back of the room where there was an empty seat practically calling his name. Next to him sat a blond, curly haired boy with brown eyes, talking to a young girl with light brown hair that bounced with every word and green eyes that twinkled with excitement. They paused their conversation when another boy took a seat in front of Roxas, chocolate brown hair held up by a headband spiked up in a weird fashion.

“Like a pineapple…” Roxas realized to late that he voiced his opinion out loud, turning red with embarrassment when the pineapple kid turned to look at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean-“

“Heh, don’t sweat it. I get it a lot.” The pineapple kid had warm hazel eyes that just screamed easy-going and sweet. “My name is Pence. What’s yours?”

And that was when he met Hayner, Olette, and Pence. Axel would like them, he thought.

Being friends with them just seemed to click. It was easy. Maybe if he was still the shy kid that never said a word before meeting Axel, it might not have gone as smoothly, but by 4th period, he was already cracking jokes with Hayner, gossiping with Olette, and teasing Pence. They had all their classes together, which was a pleasant surprise. The bell for lunch rang and the group all rushed to jump in line and find a good table to sit at. That’s when he found Axel.

Now, it was a few months ago, during summer vacation, that Roxas realized that maybe he liked Axel a little more than he was letting on. He wasn’t all too sure about the feeling before, puberty hit Roxas in the weirdest way and everything was still a little confusing and new, but when he saw Axel perched upon a lunch table, a girl sitting below him nearly swooning as the redhead whispered something or other into her ear, the feeling became solid. It became real. Jealousy stabbed him in the gut, but he excused himself from his other friends to go at least greet Axel.

“Hey Ax. I finally found you.” Roxas smiled at the redhead. He noticed the other people sitting at the table with Axel looking at the blond with resentment and distaste, but he ignored them as best he could. He was here for Axel, not to get some raging freshman hate. He never really did like Axel’s other friends.

Axel nearly threw the girl off the table to say hello to Roxas. “Roxy, my boy! Good to see you’re still alive. If anybody picks on you, let me know and I’ll beat the life out of them, got it?” He said it jokingly, but Roxas knew he was serious. It had been a problem before and Roxas hated it, but Axel always took care of it. “Sorry I couldn’t meet up with you this morning, seniors had to be here early for parking information.”

Roxas shrugged, not really all that bothered by it. The hateful stares were starting to get to him though. Axel seemed to notice this and turned from his seat on the table to glare back at his ‘friends’.

“Knock it off, he’s cool.”

“He’s a freshman.” One girl sneered. She had blond hair that was so obviously bleached, two pieces in particular standing up weirdly. Like antenna. Her eyes were a piercing green, not quite like Axel’s, but they had a coldness to them.

“Shut it Larx, you were a freshman once too.” Axel huffed before turning back to Roxas and offering him a smile. Roxas smiled back. “So make any new friends? Anybody that might steal you away from me?” He smirked.

Roxas rolled his eyes before nodding, his smile growing into a giant grin. “Yeah, actually. We have all our classes together. They’re really great.”

Axel’s smile faltered a bit, and Roxas wasn’t sure if that was disappointment he saw or if he was just seeing things, but the smile was plastered back on the senior’s face within moments. “Good, good! Mind if you point them out to me? I just wanna get a good look at my competition.” He winked at him.

Roxas nodded, and gestured in the direction of his new friends. They were watching with wide, curious eyes, all three of them turning away when Roxas pointed at them. “We sorta just clicked, yanno? I really like them all.” He had an elated look in his eyes.

Axel looked at Roxas, the trio, and then back at Roxas. He frowned with a strange emotion. “Just clicked, huh?” He mumbled.

The redhead sighed and ruffled Roxas’ still perfect hair, a tiny smile growing at Roxas’ indignant huffs. “Glad you’re finally making friends, kid. I guess you don’t need me as much anymore.”

* * *

 

 

Roxas had come out his junior year of high school. Not so officially, but he had his foot out the door. He was 17 and sitting in Olette’s basement with Hayner, Pence, and Olette when he told them. He had just had a fight with Axel again about the rowdy group of people he called his friends, about what they were doing to him, the trouble they were always getting into. It was a ritual now, Roxas and Axel fighting, they had been doing it a lot recently. Axel or Roxas say something they both end up regretting, and Roxas hides in the comfort his friends provide. Only this time, Axel told Roxas that he didn’t matter to him anymore. That he regretted ever meeting him.

And so Roxas told them everything, the heartache, the jealousy, and the unrequited feelings that he had for Axel. How he didn’t find an interest in girls very much, no offense to Olette. How sometimes he just felt out of place holding a girl in his arms. How he hated when Axel held a girl in his. How regardless of any romantic feelings, Axel was his first real best friend and that it hurt to hear that. It was messy confession, rushed, and Roxas may have had a couple of drinks from his dad’s liquor cabinet before coming over. He expected rejection, disgust, and a whole lot of hate. He sighed in relief when Olette hugged him and told him that he was no different in their eyes than he was before he walked through the door.

“Olette… How am I going to tell Axel?” He mumbled into one of the throw pillows that decorated her couch. It was about 3 weeks after his big-not-so-big reveal, and he was currently on the verge of passing out into a dreamless sleep instead of studying like he was supposed to.

Olette shrugged and scribbled something down on her paper. “If Axel is as great of a friend as you make him out to be, he won’t mind in the least. The gay thing. Now, the having a crush on him is a whole other problem and I don’t think you’re ready to cross that bridge.”

Roxas groaned, not liking the answer that was given to him, but he knew she was right. Axel would surely accept him for embracing his sexuality, right? He was Axel. Nothing fazed him. The blond smothered his face further into the pillow. Maybe tomorrow would be a good time to tell him. Axel had planned a best friend day tomorrow, a stupid dorky idea, but they both needed it.

The next day Roxas woke up with a headache in the form of a 20 year old redhead jumping on his sleeping form. He yelped in pain when Axel pressed his left arm the wrong way.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I just thought it would be a nice way to start our Super Special Best Friend Day.” Axel grinned sheepishly.

Roxas rolled his eyes and shoved Axel off of his bed before getting up and preparing for the day ahead.

They started their day by having breakfast at this little diner near the edge of town, and they talked for a while there before heading to the park to relax and enjoy each other’s company. It was nice. Painfully nice, Roxas thought with a twinge of disappointment. They were supposed to go get food after this, watch a movie maybe and then head to Axel’s house to crash for the night. And he was going to ruin it.

“Hey, Axel?” Roxas was sitting beneath a tree, with Axel laying besides him. For a moment Roxas thought he was asleep, but a quiet grunt from Axel told him he was listening. “ I need to talk you about something. I…” He paused, taking a deep breath as Axel rose to look at him with a worried look.

“Is everything okay, Rox-“

“-I’m gay.” He blurted out. Roxas’ face almost glowed with embarrassment and shame. There was a sinking feeling in chest when Axel stayed quiet for all of 3 minutes, simply staring at Roxas with an expression he’d never seen before.

“Axel, I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore-“

That seemed to snap Axel out of his trance. “Don’t be stupid, of course I still want to talk to you. I was just… Confused, for a minute there.”

Roxas seemed on the verge of tears, something that Axel, on a usual day, would never let him live down, but today he was only looking at him with gentle eyes. “Does that mean you’re okay with it?” And Roxas hoped to god that he was. The idea of losing Axel over _this_ was a painful one, but one that seemed to become more real with every second that Axel was silent. The redhead was still looking at him with that weird look, a look that Roxas couldn’t quite place yet but it scared him because it was unknown. He hated that he couldn’t tell what Axel was thinking anymore.

“…Yeah. I’m okay with it.” Axel looked to the side, away from Roxas. They were both silent for a couple of breaths. “I think I’m gonna call it a day. I’ll… I’ll talk to you later, Rox.” Axel was quick to rise and walk away, not giving Roxas anytime to protest or attempt to stop him. Roxas spent the night at Hayner’s, playing video games and watching TV all night until the sun peeked over the horizon. Axel may have said he was okay with it but Roxas already knew that he wasn’t. Their relationship changed that day, but maybe it was necessary.

Roxas began seeing less and less of Axel.

* * *

 

 

At 20, Roxas was starting his second year of college. Twilight Town had a cozy community college that didn’t offer much, but Roxas was only trying to get his basics in before transferring to a university. That was the plan at least.

He still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life exactly. Between one night stands and lonely nights mellowing in his house alone, Roxas wasn’t doing anything exciting with his life. Olette had managed to get a full ride into a great medical school and was currently interning as a nurse at one of the hospitals in the town over. Hayner had decided after high school that college was just not going to work out for him, and so he was working at one of the fancier places downtown as a cook, and a damn good one. Pence was studying journalism at TTCC but they rarely saw each other on campus, and Axel... After he had made his announcement, the redhead seemed to avoid him for some time. Roxas hadn’t seen him in a long time. Sure, they texted maybe once a week but Roxas hadn’t met up with him in person for a good month. It was strange, and it left Roxas with a heavy feeling in his chest.

He bumped into Axel in a coffee shop during spring break.

Roxas was standing in line that morning when a familiar voice caught his attention.

“Roxas?”

The blond whipped around to see Axel towering over him with a confused smile on his face. He looked like hell, if he was being honest. While Roxas glowed with a youthful vibe, Axel looked tired and ragged. However, there were two tiny diamond shaped tattoos under each eye, which startled him the most. Those were new.

“Axel… Hey.”  He gulped. To see Axel again was nerve-wracking. The redhead seemed to think the same. They grabbed their coffee before heading to an unoccupied booth, both of them clearly uncomfortable.

“How’ve you been? I see you went and ruined your face with those tattoos.” Roxas joked nervously. Something to break the ice. He was relieved to hear Axel’s dorky laugh.

“Yeah. I had a little too much to drink a few weeks ago. Larxene and I both got a little something, but at least she can hide hers.”

Roxas’ smile fell a little at the mention of Larxene, but he pushed past the discomfort. Axel loved Larxene. He loved her to pieces. They only started dating a few months ago, to his knowledge, but Roxas felt like Axel had finally left him. It was stupid, and painfully ignorant but Roxas was so scared of being left alone again. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had already found their paths, they were on the verge of leaving him. He didn’t want Axel to leave him too. Insecurity welled up in his throat. “How’s life then?”

Axel’s smile dropped at the question, and he looked anxious almost. “It’s… It’s been going good. Me and Larx are going through a bit of a bump but it’s all going to even itself out in time. We’re planning on moving to Traverse Town-“

“-You’re leaving?” Roxas cut in. Axel looked at him with a broken look, pitying almost. It tore his heart in two.

“Yeah. We’re leaving. I can’t stay here forever, Roxy. I’ve got bigger and better waiting for me.”

Axel still was unaware of the stupid little crush Roxas had. A crush that Roxas had almost squashed before he saw Axel today. “You don’t have to go, I’m sure there’s something here for you. Twilight Town may be small but it’s got a lot to offer-“

“Roxas, I leave in 2 hours. I know what you’re feeling, kid. But… You can’t keep clinging to me anymore. I can’t be your crutch like I used to. You’ve got your other friends, go with them. Lean on them.”

Roxas hung his head low with shame and hurt. “I just… You’ve always been there for me. You were my first _real_ friend.”

Axel chuckled at that. “I’m still your friend. Your best friend. I just… Can’t stay here anymore. I thought you would understand. You know how I get.”

Romantic feelings aside, Axel meant the world to him. And Axel was right. He knew exactly how he got. Through their entire friendship, Axel always spoke of traveling. Of leaving the dumpy, quiet Twilight Town. It would take time to get over it, but Axel would probably be much happier in a bigger city. Axel was always a city boy type.

“I… Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I’m glad I caught you before you left. Knowing you, nobody else knows you’re leaving.”

“Right you are, Rox. How very right you are. But don’t look so down. I’ll be back for your birthday, yeah? The big twenty one. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And I know that Hayner kid will probably throw the worst party ever, so let him know that I’m in charge.” Axel grinned before looking down at his watch. He frowned and looked back up at Roxas with a regretful look. Roxas knew that their time was up, but he didn’t feel so bad. Axel was coming back in 6 months. For him. And it warmed his heart enough to muster a giant grin.

“Better get going, huh?”

“Yeah. Larxene is going to nag if we leave any later than we already are.”

“Well get going then. To bigger and better right?”

Axel’s shoulders sagged with an invisible weight. “Yeah. To bigger and better.”

 

* * *

 

 

The day of his twenty first birthday, Axel took him and his friends (minus Olette) to a specialty bar. They didn’t know what was so special about it until they walked through the door.

Girls. Left and right there were girls. Men too, but they were the sick kind, the kind that made a habit of visiting the place often. The young women were all skimpily dressed, some wearing things that shouldn’t even constitute as clothes. A strip club. Hayner and Pence were a little uneasy at the setting given Roxas’ preference in gender. But Roxas _insisted_ that Axel handle the party business, so they kept their mouths shut. For now at least.

Axel had a thrilled look on his face and he herded the group towards an empty booth near the bathrooms. They all took their seats, Hayner and Pence looking uncomfortable, but Roxas looking like he was in pain. He kept flinching every time a woman walked by their table. Axel didn’t seem to notice. Axel whistled for a waitress, and Roxas was relieved to find that at least she had on pants.

“Yes my lady, a round for the four of us. No, no, make it two! We’re celebrating a big day for my man here.” Axel grinned fiendishly and patted Roxas roughly on the back, which only furthered everyone’s discomfort. The young woman smiled and winked at Roxas, who stiffened and forced a smile back. She left shortly after taking their full order, leaving them to talk amongst themselves.

“Surprise! How do you like it Roxy? I told you I would do good, right?”

Roxas forced a laugh and shrugged a little. “Y-Yeah. It’s nice.”

Hayner and Pence shared a look. “Roxas…” Pence frowned. Roxas just smiled at him.

“I’m fine, I swear. The music is good. Maybe the food here is amazing.”

Hayner narrowed his eyes and and drummed his fingers on the table but said nothing. It worried Roxas a little. Pence shook his head. “If you say so.”

Axel was twiddling his fingers, stopping when the waitress came back with the drinks and food. “Enjoy.” She said with what she probably hoped was a sultry voice, but it sounded painfully forced and maybe a little angry.

Axel winked at her and distributed the drinks. Hayner downed his angrily while Pence took testing sips, still giving Roxas wary looks. Roxas gave Pence warning looks back and smiled at Axel, laughing with him though he wasn’t quite sure what they were laughing about. The mood eventually evened out as they drank a little more, Hayner was even joking with Axel now.

A young woman approached the table, blond hair bouncing as she sat up on the table in what was supposed to be seductive. Roxas thought she looked like she about to trip. “I hear there’s a birthday boy at this table.”

Axel perked up at that. “Yep, right here!” He wrapped an arm around Roxas and shook him a little. Roxas stiffened up and looked over the woman. If she’s here for what he thought she was, he was going to leave. “You got it?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Roxas was seriously starting to feel uncomfortable. Pence noticed and sat up, Hayner did the same, both of them eyeing the woman with distaste.

“Alright sweetheart, let’s go. I’ve got a room set up.” She stood and held her hand out expectantly towards Roxas, who only stared at the limb like it was made of toxic jelly.

“That’s okay, it’s really not necessary-“ Roxas tried but Axel pushed him forward.

“Roxas, go! I want you to have a little fun, it’s your night-“

“Axel-“

“ _Go_ -“

“Why are you doing this-“

“Roxas I want you to enjoy yourself-“

“Axel, I _don’t like this_ -“ Roxas was making his way out of the booth when Axel grabbed his arm.

“Roxas what’s the problem exactly? It’s just a lap dance, just take it. Christ.”

Roxas stared at Axel long and hard before brushing off his arm. “The _problem_ here, Axel, is that I’m _gay._ ” He glared at the redhead for what seemed like the longest time.

The words stung Axel deeply, but he tried to brush it off with a nervous laugh. “G-Gay? You’re still on about that? I thought you were over it already.” He was fidgeting now, obviously tense in his posture. Roxas’ face fell at his words.

“Over it? You thought I was _over it_?” He gaped at the redhead. Hayner and Pence were quick to stand with Roxas. “Axel, _what is the matter with you_? I… I don’t even know what to _say_ to that, I-“

“Roxas, you’re being ridiculous. Calm down, take a seat and we’ll talk this out, right here right now. Just, come on-“

“You brought him to a _strip club_! On his _birthday_! Like hell he’s gonna take a seat, we’re leaving Now. Roxas doesn’t need a friend like you in his life. Not anymore.” Roxas was silent as he was guided out of the club, leaving Axel to wallow in shame.

It was 7 years before Roxas spoke to Axel again.

 

* * *

 

 

Roxas, 28, was currently slouched over his seat on the bench, waiting for the four o’clock bus to take him to work. The same one he used to take home when he was in elementary school. His life was simple, working at the restaurant Hayner owned, he would take the bus to work and then hitch a ride with Hayner home. He didn’t have a car, it was easier to take the bus anyways, so there he sat. Waiting. It was winter, the middle of December, so he was bundled up in a thick coat, scarves, and a beanie that hid his blond hair away from the world, only a few tuffs peeking out in the front. He hardly noticed when someone took a seat next to him, he didn’t really care either. They kept shifting in their seat though, and it was making him angry.

“Hey.”

Roxas was more pissed. Now this guy wanted to talk to him?

“Hey, guy.”

Roxas sighed irritably and focused on the ground. _Leave me alone, dude._

“I said, _hey._ ”

Roxas finally looked up with an angry huff, ready to tell this guy off but the words died before they could leave his lips.

Red hair flared out in dangerous short spikes, and green eyes blazed with adrenaline and purpose. The guy smiled, satisfied with the attention. “You got the time? I’m trying to catch the four o’clock bus.”

Roxas struggled to get the words out as he looked down at his watch. _3:47_. “It’s… It’s three forty-seven. It’ll be a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks. That gives me some time to relax.” The guy stretched in his seat. “I’m Lea, by the way. But you can call me Axel. You want to be my friend?”

Axel looked at Roxas with regretting eyes, pain obviously swimming in the toxic green irises but there was hope there. Fleeting, but there. Still Axel smiled, a small sad smile. Roxas felt his throat tighten with fear, insecurity, and pain. He was scared, so scared, that if he let him in again, he would break.

Axel cleared his throat, trying not to back down. “You know, usually when someone introduces themselves, they get an introduction back.”

Roxas almost laughed. Laughed at how painfully familiar this was. “My mother says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.” He tried weakly.

Axel did laugh. Laughed sad and broken but he laughed because he knew it was all too familiar as well. “Well I’m not exactly a stranger, am I? How’s about it then? You want to be my friend?”

Roxas didn’t know why he said yes a second time, after the first was an absolute disaster, but he wanted to hope. He always believed Axel was a good person.

 


End file.
